POLITICAL ROBOCALLS TO CELL PHONES

FCC PLANS $2.9 MILLION FINE AGAINST ONLINE COMPANY FOR MAKING POLITICAL
Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission plans to fine Dialing Services, LLC $2,944,000
for allegedly making numerous illegal “robocalls” to mobile phones. These robocalls contained artificial or
prerecorded voice messages on behalf of political campaigns and candidates. The Commission had
previously cited Dialing Services for making more than 4.7 million robocalls to mobile phones without
consumer permission during the 2012 election cycle.
“Robocalling cell phones without a consumer’s consent is not only annoying, it is unlawful,” said Travis
LeBlanc, Acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. “The FCC is committed to protecting consumers from
harassing, intrusive, and unwanted robocalls to cell phones, smart phones, and other mobile devices.”
Dialing Services, LLC, of Roswell, NM, operates a website (dialingservices.com) that offers robocalling
services to third-party “clients,” including political candidates. These clients pay Dialing Services to make
calls that deliver an artificial or prerecorded voice message to telephone numbers of the clients’ choosing.
The company advertises that through its services, its clients can “Reach thousands, hundreds of thousands or
even millions of customers with your personal message.”
In March 2013, Dialing Services received a citation from the Enforcement Bureau for making more than 4.7
million robocalls to mobile phones without consumers’ permission during the 2012 election cycle. The
Bureau warned Dialing Services that if the company continued to make unlawful robocalls in the future, it
could be held liable for penalties up to $16,000 per call. The Commission has now found that Dialing
Services apparently continued to engage in the same practice, making at least 184 additional robocalls to
consumers’ mobile phones. The $2,944,000 fine is the maximum penalty for these 184 calls.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, enacted by Congress in 1991, outlaws robocalls to mobile phones
except in two limited circumstances: (1) calls made for emergency purposes, or (2) calls made with the prior
express consent of the called party. There is no general exception for political calls to mobile phones.
For more information about the FCC’s rules protecting consumers from unwanted calls and faxes, see the
FCC consumer guide Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls. For information about other communications